So my latest October bat purchase was posted on the bargain spots thread yesterday and I took the plunge. It's a Mongoose Core3 Premium that was for sale through Amazon, not your normal place for cricket equipment. I will let the pictures do the talking first.
Initial thoughtsAs you can probably tell from the photos, it's a beast of a thing. Considering how long Mongoose seem to have been around, I haven't seen many in shops so I didn't really know what to expect. I love the look of the pink and chrome stickers, they look and feel quality and really set it apart from all other brands. The finishing is ok, smooth face but the edge and toe could have seen a bit more attention.
Bat ProfileWell it is certainly something different! As you can tell from the comparison with my Salix, the bat is around an inch shorter in the blade. Furthermore, the profile keeps on growing the further down the bat you go until you reach the toe.
THE TOE!!! Bloody Jesus it is huge, I can't quite get my head around it next to a normal sized bat. If only I could find the bloody tape measure! The bat weighs 2'8.5lbs and due to the weight of the toe, it's no super light pick up but certainly manageable.
Looks and PerformanceListed as a Grade two willow, the goose has 9 straight and even grains and would certainly be grade one if it wasn't for green/yellow marks on the inside edge. Pretty happy with it so no complaints about the grading. Moving onto the performance, it's not knocked in so needs some time this winter preparing it for the summer ahead. Response off the mallet feels good, not outstanding, and unsurprisingly pings nicely from anywhere above the toe to the bottom of the stickers. Impressive. The lack of splice in the cleft seems to improve response high up on the bat. When gripping the bat, the longer handle does feel a bit odd but probably something to get used to.
Overall, I'm excited to use it. It has that X-factor that makes you want to pick up off the shelf and have a hit with it. I'm looking forward to knocking it in and giving it a go at the Vitas event in December.
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Topic: Mongoose Core3 Premium - AKA The Railway Sleeper (Read 5394 times)